The market adjustment price is the same as the MSRP.
A Ford dealer has been caught charging precisely double for an all-new Ford F-150 Lightning. This news comes despite a warning from Ford earlier this year.
The cutthroat world of automotive sales currently favors the dealer system. Due to an ongoing global parts shortage, there isn’t nearly enough supply to meet the demand, which means a dealer (a privately-owned entity) can charge whatever it wants if it happens to have a car on the floor.
Ford is by no means the only manufacturer with this problem. In May, we reported how one particular dealer was charging a $100,000 markup on the Corvette Z06. And the problem isn’t limited to high-end cars either.
Ford just happens to be in an extra tough spot at the moment. Demand for the all-new Lightning is exceptionally high, and Dearborn’s Rouge Complex can’t keep up. It currently can build 75,000 cars per year, which will ramp up to 150,000 in 2023. That should clear the 200,000 already paid for reservations, but it doesn’t account for any new sales.
That’s why dealers like Gary Smith Ford in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, can allegedly charge $140,603 for a Lightning. On an image posted to the F-150 Lightning Forum, we can see the price breakdown. The dealer in question charges an MSRP of $69,554, not including a few dealer accessories for $1,495. The market adjustment cost is also $69,554, taking the total to $140,603. Unfortunately, this is not the most expensive Lightning we’ve seen.
This is not a top-spec Lightning. With that MSRP, it’s most likely a Lariat with a Standard Range battery.
We tried to find this car on Gary Smith Ford’s website, but it does not appear to be listed. There are a few new trucks and used vehicles with obvious dealer markups, but nothing as outrageous as the Lightning mentioned above.
What’s the solution, considering dealers will keep doing this as long as people are willing to pay these ridiculous markups?
Ford has warned its dealer network that it can relocate stock to a rival dealer if a dealer is caught pulling these antics. Each new Ford order also now has to have a name attached to it, but the most significant impact will likely be online sales.
Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, wants to go 100% online, as least as far as EVs are concerned. He recently stated that it would stick to a non-negotiable price with remote pick up and delivery.
